E-Books - 6/18/12

Published On: Jun 27 2012 10:24:10 AM CDT

The Kindle e-book reader from Amazon has been the market leader for a long time. "What's wonderful about the Kindle is that you can have 20 books, and you can read whatever you're in the mood to read." But there's a new chapter being written in the world of e-book readers. Up until now, you've basically had two choices - a black-and-white e-ink e-book reader that lacks a built-in light, or a color reader with a backlit LCD screen. But both have drawbacks. In Consumer Reports' tests, e-ink readers perform better in bright light - best for reading outdoors. But to read in the dark, you need to attach a book light. Backlit LCD screens are great for reading in the dark - no light needed - but in bright light these have trouble with glare and washout. Other issues? "An LCD screen makes battery life a lot shorter than an e-ink screen. And e-ink models are usually a lot lighter, too, which matters a lot when you're reading for hours." This Ectaco Jetbook Color is the first color e-ink reader. But testers found the colors aren't true. And the page turns are super-slow. The Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight is also new. It has a touch screen and uses black and white e-ink technology. And for reading in the dark, the screen lights up. Paul Reynolds "This GlowLight Simple Touch was as easy to read as the best readers we've tested." In the end, Consumer Reports top rates the 140-dollar Barnes & Noble Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight - end of story. ..."

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